Most Commonly Asked Questions

CCUS stands for Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage. It brings together technologies designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial processes or directly from the atmosphere which can then be safely stored underground or used in various applications.  

CCUS is a form of carbon management and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key tool in combating climate change. It is especially useful for industries that are hard to decarbonise, like cement and steel production.

• Capture: CO₂ is captured from industrial emissions or the air.  

• Transport: After CO₂ is captured, it needs to be moved to storage sites or facilities for Utilisation.  

• Utilisation: The CO₂ can be used to create products like fuels, chemicals, or building materials.  

• Storage: CO₂ can be compressed and safely and permanently stored in deep geological formations. It can also be stored as a stable mineral, locked away geologically.  

• Regulation and Verification: Strict regulations are in place governing all aspects of a CCUS project. Monitoring tools ensure that the CO2 is safely stored and poses no risk. 

CCUS projects are operational worldwide, including Australia, the United States, Canada and Europe. These projects are located either near industrial hubs (emission sources) or areas with suitable geological storage sites.

Capture 

• How it works: CO₂ is captured at the source (like a power plant or industrial facility) or directly from the air using special technologies. This involves methods like chemical absorption, membrane separation, or cryogenic processes. 
• Why it matters: Capturing CO₂ prevents it from entering the atmosphere and contributing to global warming. It can also be a valuable raw material for utilisation. 

  Transport 

• Compression: The captured CO₂ is usually compressed into a dense, liquid-like state (called supercritical CO₂) to make it easier to transport and inject underground. 
• Pipelines: The most cost-effective and widely used method for large volumes over land. CO₂ is often transported in a compressed state to optimise efficiency. 
• Ships: Suitable for longer distance and intercontinental transport, especially when pipelines are not feasible. 
• Trucks and Rail: Used for smaller quantities or shorter distances, offering flexibility.
• All of these forms of transport have been used for decades to transport CO2 globally. 

 Storage – Deep Underground Storage 

• How it’s stored: CO₂ is usually compressed into a dense, liquid-like state (called supercritical CO₂) and injected into deep porous rock formations located usually more than a kilometre below the Earth’s surface.  
  • Depleted Oil and Gas Reservoirs: Previously extracted sites with proven structural integrity for trapping fluids and gases. 
  • Deep Aquifers (not suitable as drinking water sources) : Layers of porous and permeable rock filled with water typically high in salt or other elements and which can securely contain CO₂. 
• Sealing with Impermeable Rock Layers: Above these formations, impermeable rock layers (called caprock) act as a natural barrier, trapping the CO₂ and preventing it from migrating upwards. 

• Long-Term Storage: The CO2 is trapped in individual millimetre scale rock pores.  Over time, the CO₂ may become chemically bound to the surrounding rocks through natural processes, like: 
  • Dissolution: CO₂ dissolves into the non-potable pore water already there in the storage formation. 
  • Mineralisation: CO₂ reacts with the surrounding rock to form stable, solid minerals. 
• Safety, Monitoring, Measurement and Verification. Tight regulations are applied at each stage of a project to ensure a site is not developed unless suitable for CO2 injection. Advanced monitoring technologies ensure the CO₂ remains safely stored and that the CO2 does not impact any prohibited areas including sources of drinking water. 

Storage – Mineral Carbonation 

• How it’s stored : Mineral carbonation is a process where carbon dioxide (CO₂) reacts with minerals rich in calcium, magnesium, or iron to form stable carbonate minerals. This reaction occurs naturally over geological timescales but can be accelerated for industrial applications or to draw CO2 out of the atmosphere. 
•  Why it’s important : It offers a permanent and safe way to store CO₂, helping to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. Additionally, it can utilise  industrial by-products like mine tailings or fly-ash, turning waste into a resource for climate solutions. This makes it a promising tool in the fight against climate change.

  Utilisation 

• How it’s used: Captured CO₂ can be turned into products such as: 
  • Manufacturing 
    • Concrete and Building Materials: CO₂ is used in concrete curing processes to enhance strength and durability. 
    • Carbon Fibers and Polymers: CO₂ is transformed into raw materials for lightweight, strong materials used in industries like aviation and automotive. 
  • Synthetic Fuels and Chemicals: CO₂ can be converted into methanol, ethanol, or other fuels and chemicals, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. 
  • Food and Beverage Industry: CO₂ is widely used for carbonation in drinks and as a refrigerant in the food supply chain. 
  • Agriculture: 
    • Greenhouses: CO₂ is used to enhance plant growth by increasing photosynthesis rates. 
    • Fertilisers: CO₂-derived chemicals are utilised  in producing agricultural fertilisers. 
  • Direct Use in Cooling Systems: CO₂ serves as a refrigerant, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic refrigerants. 

• Why it’s exciting: This turns a pollutant into a resource, promoting a circular carbon economy. 

How do we know that it works? Here are some examples of operational CCS projects. 

Boundary Dam Project (Canada) This was the world’s first commercial-scale power plant equipped with CCUS technology. It captures CO₂ emissions from a coal-fired power station and stores them underground in a geological formation. 

Quest Carbon Capture and Storage Project (Canada) Developed by Shell, this project captures CO₂ from hydrogen production at an oil sands upgrader. The CO₂ is then stored in deep saline aquifers. 

Sleipner CO₂ Storage Project (Norway) Operating since 1996, this project captures CO₂ from natural gas production and stores it in a sandstone formation beneath the North Sea. 

Gorgon CO₂ Injection Project (Australia) Located in Western Australia, this project captures CO₂ from natural gas processing and injects it into a deep geological formation for long-term storage. 

Moomba CCS (Australia) is one of the world’s largest CCS initiatives. CO₂ emissions from the Moomba gas plant are stored permanently in depleted gas reservoirs within the Cooper Basin. Phase one of the project is designed to store up to 1.7 million tonnes of CO₂ annually, with potential expansion to a capacity of 20 million tonnes per year 

Northern Lights (Norway). The Longship initiative represents one of the world’s most advanced carbon capture and storage efforts. It involves capturing CO₂ emissions from industrial sources (cement, waste to energy, ammonia) and transporting it via ships to an onshore terminal. From there, the CO₂ is injected into geological formations deep under the North Sea for permanent storage. 

This project is designed to provide a scalable solution for international CO₂ storage and has the potential to support industries in meeting emissions reduction targets while enabling cross-border collaboration. It highlights how CCUS can play a crucial role in tackling climate change globally. 

How will CCUS benefit Australia? 

CCUS projects provide significant environmental benefits, helping to mitigate climate change and promote sustainable practices. Here’s a closer look: 

1. Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• • By capturing CO₂ from industrial processes and power generation, CCUS prevents these emissions from entering the atmosphere. This is vital for reducing the overall concentration of greenhouse gases. 

2. Supporting Renewable Energy and Hydrogen

• • CCUS can complement renewable energy by providing low-carbon hydrogen, which can be used as a clean fuel for transportation, heating, and industrial processes. 

3. Enabling a Circular Carbon Economy

• • Utilisation of captured CO₂ in products like synthetic fuels or building materials reduces the demand for virgin resources, promoting resource efficiency and circularity. 

4. Decarbonising Hard-to-Abate Sectors

• • Sectors like cement, steel, and chemicals production are challenging to decarbonise through other means. CCUS offers a practical solution for reducing emissions in these industries. 

How does CCUS help combat climate change? 

CCUS is one of many tools available to combat climate change, each with unique strengths and applications. Here’s how CCUS compares to other methods: 

1. Renewable Energy

• • Strengths of renewables: Solar, wind, and hydropower generate energy without emitting CO₂. 

• • Where CCUS complements: CCUS addresses emissions from industries that cannot easily transition to renewables, like steel and cement production, or where emissions are not linked to energy use. 

2. Energy Efficiency

• • Strengths of efficiency measures: Reducing energy consumption lowers emissions and saves costs. 

• • Where CCUS complements: CCUS captures emissions that cannot be avoided even after improving efficiency. 

3. Reforestation and Afforestation

• • Strengths of using nature-based solutions: Forests and other forms of plants, algae, soil carbon etc absorb CO₂ naturally while providing ecological benefits. 

• • Where CCUS complements: CCUS can stop CO₂ entering the atmosphere. Biological solutions can then be used to address CO2 already in the atmosphere from historic sources. 

4. Direct Air Capture (DAC)

• • Strengths of DAC: A form of CCUS which focuses on capturing CO₂ directly from the atmosphere where the CO2 concentration is very low (but impactful). 

• • CCUS and DAC: The most efficient form of CCUS is to directly capture high concentration CO2 from industrial processes before it reaches the atmosphere. DAC can be deployed to capture historic and present day CO2 from dispersed sources that are harder to capture (e.g. agriculture). 

5. BehaviourChanges  

• • Strengths of changes in behaviour: Promoting sustainable practices (like reducing meat consumption, energy use, aviation) lowers emissions at the source. 

• • Where CCUS complements: CCUS offers a technical solution where behaviour changes alone may not be enough. 

6. Summary of CCUS’s Role

• • CCUS is not a standalone solution but an essential part of a broader climate strategy. It is particularly effective in addressing emissions that are difficult to reduce through other means. 

Given that the technologies are well known and already operating, why are there not more projects globally? 

• Infrastructure: Building capture, transport and storage facilities requires time, investment and policy certainty. To mitigate risks, the timing of investments must be synchronized so that all elements of the CCUS chain progress together. For example, storage site assurance, regulation and approvals need to be in place ahead of project approval of capture and transport networks, but likewise investment in site selection needs to be assured of sufficient CO2 for a project to proceed.  Government involvement may be necessary to facilitate coordination and provide support throughout these processes (as demonstrated in Norway’s Longship CCUS Project). 

• Policy support: Governments play a crucial role in funding, financing and regulating CCUS projects, treating them as essential utilities for carbon management, much like electricity, water, and waste management services. Globally emissions caps and pore space mandates are also used to incentivise industry to develop long term CCUS projects. 

• High costs: Developing and operating CCUS facilities can be expensive. Ongoing research aims to reduce costs, and regions with multiple large-scale emitters can share infrastructure, making CCUS more cost-effective (e.g. Northern Lights (Norway), Net Zero Teesside (UK). 

• Social Acceptance: While there have been safe and successful CCUS projects operating for many years, there is an inaccurate perception that CCUS is dangerous, untried and only used by the fossil fuel industry. In all likely modelled scenarios, we will fail to reach Net Zero without CCUS – some crucial industries will continue to emit CO2 even after fossil fuels are replaced with alternative forms of energy.  

The Global CCS Institute has an excellent series. 

CCS Explainer Series 

https://www.globalccsinstitute.com/ccs-explainer-series-factsheets/ 

Here are some useful articles and videos on the role of CCUS globally and in Australia 

Capturing global attention: Carbon capture, utilisation and storage – CSIRO 

Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage – Energy System – IEA  

What is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) – Full Length Explainer Video (YouTube 3.55 mins) 

Climate change in six lumps of coal with Professor Myles Allen (YouTube 1:37mins)